Study of the effectiveness of different methods of mulching potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) with cereal straw in eastern Ukraine
¹Institute of Vegetable & Melon Growing of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences Ukraine, Instytutska Str., 1, village Selektsiyne, UA62478 Kharkiv rg., Ukraine
²State Biotechnologikal University, Alchevskih Str., 44, UA61002 Kharkiv, Ukraine
³Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University, Agronomical faculty,
S. Efremova Str., 25, UA49600 Dnipro, Ukraine
*Correspondence: melnik.matilda@gmail.com
Abstract:
Under the conditions of global climate change, there has recently been a tendency to worsen weather conditions during the growing season in the East of Ukraine. The significant increase in average daily air temperatures and the uneven nature of rainfall do not meet the biological requirements of potato plants, which leads to a decrease in their productivity. The purpose of the research. Improve the microclimate on potato plantations by mulching them with different types of materials. Results of research. Using wheat straw or basalt mineral wool as mulch reduces overheating of the upper layers of the soil by 6.6–7.0° and contributes to moisture conservation. At the same time, there is a significant decrease in temperature and relative humidity fluctuations under the mulch layer compared to the soil surface. The use of spent mineral basalt wool for this purpose, which was previously used as a substrate in greenhouses, solves the disposal problem. Deterioration of soil chemical parameters and product quality was not noted. The use of nitrogen fertilizers (urea) or microbial preparations Azotofit-r and Ecostern before mulching with wheat straw has a positive effect on plant nutrition, which contributes to the improvement of biometric indicators and increases the yield of potatoes by 4.2–4.7 t ha-1. Potato mulching with zero tillage involves planting tubers on its surface. At the same time, their contact with the soil is significantly reduced, decreasing the supply of nutrients from it after the transition of potato plants to autotrophic nutrition. Under these conditions, minimal tillage of the soil during its pre-planting preparation improves the development of the root system and promotes the formation of stolons and tubers at a certain depth. Depending on the number of technological operations, the degree of loosening of the soil significantly affects the yield of potatoes. Its growth with minimal tillage is from 1.3 to 10.7 t ha-1 compared to zero tillage. This allows you to compensate for additional costs related to mulching and collecting additional products. The improvement of the main economic indicators confirms the high efficiency of mulching potatoes with wheat straw with minimal tillage. Results were expressed as averages. Chemical composition was analyzed using analysis of variance with P ≤ 0.05 for yield and plant height using the program of statistical analysis (SAS) v. 9.1.3.
Key words:
microbial preparations, mineral basalt wool, minimal tillage, mulching, potatoes, straw, zero tillage